A tailgate is a type of door for a motor vehicle such as, for example, a station wagon, van, sport utility vehicles (SUV) and the like, that is generally mounted at a rear opening of the motor vehicle to restrict or permit access to a rear compartment of the motor vehicle.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, tailgate 10 may employ an integrated, unitary structure that includes main tailgate body 11 having frame member 12 at an upper portion thereof that defines a generally rectangular opening that receives a fixed, non-movable glass or window member 13. Tailgate 10 having such a structure is mounted generally at the rear opening of the motor vehicle through hinge connection 14 that permits selective movement of tailgate 10 between opened and closed positions about horizontal axis H relative to the main motor vehicle body. Latch assembly 15 is provided to permit selective actuation of hinge connection 14 via handle 16.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, another tailgate 20 structure may employ main tailgate body 21 that may be mounted generally at the rear opening of the motor vehicle through hinge connection 22 that permits selective movement of tailgate 20 between opened and closed positions about vertical axis V relative to the main motor vehicle body. Latch assembly 23 is provided to permit selective actuation of hinge connection 22 via handle 24. In such a structure, however, frameless glass or window member 25 is provided that may be fixed or moveable in a substantially upward-downward direction between a closed position within main tailgate body 21 and a raised position in which it extends at least partially from main tailgate body 21.
In the manufacture of motor vehicles, a body-in-white (BIW) is a vehicle body frame to which various sub assemblies are subsequently attached. In motor vehicles employing a tailgate, a BIW for one having a tailgate which is moveable about a horizontal axis differs from a motor vehicle employing a tailgate which is moveable about a vertical axis.
Accordingly, structural modification of the BIW is required in instances where it may be necessary, desirable or otherwise required to remove a tailgate structure as illustrated in FIG. 1 in place of an after-market tailgate having a different structure as illustrated in FIG. 2. When installing the after-market tailgate, however, the accompanying window pane may be frameless, and thus, unsealed gap 26 exists between the frameless window pane and the motor vehicle body that was previously occupied by the upper portion of the original tailgate. The presence of such an unsealed gap 26, of course, is undesirable since it will result in air leakage from the interior cabin of the motor vehicle, in addition to the entry of dust particles, rain, snow, sleet, etc. into the interior of the cabin.